dietary supplements
News coverage about the harmful effects of trans fat, combined with labeling information, may influence consumers' short-term purchases of foods high in trans fat, but is not enough to prompt shoppers to avoid these potentially artery-clogging purchases over the long term, according to a study in the May issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
An analysis of a sample of Ayurvedic herbal medicine products found that 20 percent contained metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic at levels that could be toxic if taken as directed, according to a new study. According to the report, approximately 80 percent of India's one billion population uses Ayurveda, a medical system that originated in India more than 2000 years ago and greatly relies on herbal medicine products.
The Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers not to purchase or to consume Actra-Rx or Yilishen, two products promoted and offered for sale on Web sites as ''dietary supplements'' for treating erectile dysfunction and enhancing sexual performance for men. These products in fact contain an active prescription drug ingredient. FDA has also issued an Import Alert instructing FDA field personnel to stop the importation of ''Actra-Rx'' and ''Yilishen.''
United States Attorney Carol C. Lam announced that a Grand Jury sitting in the Southern District of California returned an eight-count indictment against San Diego-based corporation Metabolife International, Inc., and its founder, Michael J. Ellis. The indictment charges both defendants with six counts of making false, fictitious and fraudulent representations to the Food and Drug Administration, and two counts of corruptly endeavoring to influence, obstruct and impede proceedings concerning the regulation of dietary supplements containing ephedra being conducted by the FDA.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson and Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced three actions being taken to further strengthen existing safeguards that protect consumers against the agent that causes bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as ''mad cow disease'').
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced a crackdown on companies that manufacture, market and distribute products containing androstenedione, or, "andro," which acts like a steroid once it is metabolized by the body and therefore can pose similar kinds of health risks as steroids. These products are generally advertised as dietary supplements that enhance athletic performance based on their claimed anabolic and androgenic properties to stimulate muscle growth and increase production of testosterone.
An international team of chemists has developed a new family of antioxidants that are up to 100 times more effective than Vitamin E. Antioxidants are molecules that can counteract the damaging effects of oxygen in tissues and other materials. So far, the new antioxidants have been tested "in vitro" ? in the test tube. But studies with biological molecules, such as cholesterol, suggest that the new compounds have properties that could make them suitable for dietary supplements. Shortly, Vanderbilt researchers expect to begin the lengthy process of determining how effective the new the compounds are in living animals and whether they have any harmful side effects.
A single dose of a dietary supplement containing ephedra and caffeine can increase blood pressure and cause changes that have the potential to affect heart rhythms, according to a new study. Dietary weight-loss supplements often combine ephedra and caffeine with various other natural ingredients. In the United States, more than 3 billion doses of these herbal preparations are sold annually, resulting in $7 billion in sales.
A UCLA research team has discovered that a popular health supplement and antioxidant vitamins may help prevent atherosclerosis, or blockage of the blood vessels. The findings are reported in the Jan. 13 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Our findings suggest that people who take dietary supplements of L-arginine, an amino acid, and antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, might be at a lower risk for atherosclerosis and heart disease," said Dr. Louis J. Ignarro, a 1998 Nobel laureate in medicine and UCLA professor of molecular and medical pharmacology. "This is significant because cardiovascular disease is still the No. 1 cause of death in the United States."
